Justify
by charlotteprentiss
Summary: An accidental phone call leaves Emily's emotions all over the place. With over 3000 miles between them will a romantic relationship ever materialise for Aaron Hotchner and Emily Prentiss? - Hotch/Prentiss centric, focused on Emily's line of thought. Rated M for language and themes.
1. Chapter 1

**A.N: This is my first FF in a while (maybe over a year!) so please bear with me while I iron out the kinks in my story writing. This story will be Hotch/Prentiss centric but more of a focus on Emily's thoughts. I have an idea of where this is going but I'm always open to requests and ideas. I love feedback and will always respond and return. Thank you.**

It was an early summer evening in London. Emily had spent the day in the Hyde Park, reading from her Vonnegut collection and shopping in Covent Garden. When she arrived home she fell into her weekend routine: boots off, yoga pants on, crawled up on the couch scrolling through her social media feeds while she decided on supper. Maybe lasagne she mused to herself.

While she rummaged through her kitchen cupboards her laptop started bleeping on the coffee table. The tune repeated again before she managed to get to it. The incoming call was from her former boss: Aaron Hotchner. She quickly ran through the reasons as to why he may be trying to video call her, nothing seemed logical. She didn't even know she had him as a contact. She lifted the laptop up once she accepted the call. "Where's the microphone on this thing? Hello? Can you hear me?" Only the parting of her hair could be seen as she held it above her head.

"Hey sexy" his voice finally came through. Emily put the laptop onto the table and pushed it away. She raised her eyebrows and waited for him to look at the video feed. "…oh. Shit. Sorry Prentiss, sorry Emily. I, uh-" expletives rolled off his tongue. "I thought I had called Beth… Sorry… Stupid technology."

Emily laughed. "Hello to you too."

Despite the pixelated image she could still see his rouged cheeks. "Maybe I should get Garcia to give me another lesson on Skyping."

"Maybe" she repeated. There was a brief silence where they both sat awkwardly at their computer screens. "So… How are you?"

"I'm good, thank you, and you?"

"I'm well, a little tired but nothing a quick nap won't fix."

"What time is it there? Five, six?"

"Six."

"I can never remember if it's a four or a five hour difference…"

Emily looked over to the ingredients on the kitchen counter. "Anyway," she paused, thinking whether to call him Aaron or Hotch, "I think you meant to call Beth, not me."

His checked his watch. "I realised she said she was having lunch with her friends so I probably wouldn't have been able to speak to her anyway…" Emily smiled and nodded.

"Ah. Long distance relationships…" she mumbled quietly. She stared at him on the video feed. He looked lonely and clung to every word that came out of her mouth.

"I can go if you want me to. Are you busy?"

Her tone changed, her voice was suddenly softer. In a short few moments she had come to realise how much of a toll his long distance relationship was having on him. "No, I'm not busy." She needed to lighten the mood. "How's Jack? Still doing well in school?"

"He's great!" he beamed and grinned. "He came first in his grade's spelling bee last week and is reading at a sixth grade level!"

Emily got comfy on the couch and listened to him ramble about Jack's academic process. "And soccer? He's still into that, right?"

"Right. Sometimes I coerce Dave into coaching with me. Their team hasn't been doing too good recently but they're getting better…"

"That's still good." She smiled. "How is Dave? Coping?"

"Yes, he's coping." They were referring to the murder of Erin Strauss and Aaron quickly changed the subject. "Morgan has a girlfriend, I think… I try not to get involved but it's hard to ignore when JJ is mocking him on the jet."

"How is she?" Emily knew how JJ was. They spoke whenever they could.

He didn't question why Emily was asking. "Everyone handles it in a different way…"

Not wanting delve deeper, she diverted the conversation back to Jack. "So the spelling bee… What was the winning word?"

"Xylophone."

"I'm in my forties and I don't think I can spell that."

"You don't look it."

She laughed. "Thanks, you know how to flatter a girl." Emily quickly questioned what she just said. _Flatter a girl? Was that flirting? Had she just flirted with her boss? Her former boss. Was that appropriate? Was she now doing her tell?_

"Yeah, well…" he sighed and stopped talking.

"Is everything ok…? Hotch?"

He laughed. "You don't need to call me Hotch."

"You called me Prentiss earlier."

"Call me Aaron, Emily."

He had greeted her by calling her "sexy". Granted, it wasn't directed at her but now all formalities were out the window she thought to herself. "Is everything ok Aaron?"

"Everything is fine." He was doing his tell.

"Well… If you ever want to talk, you know where I am."

"In London, a thousand miles away."

"I'm sure Reid could give you a precise calculation on that." They both belly-laughed.

Their conversation flowed on for hours until she was suddenly disturbed by her phone ringing. When she returned he was the first to speak. "It's getting late there, I better let you go."

"I guess." She had been enjoying their conversation. "It was just Clyde Easter." She said casually. "He likes to check in now and then."

Aaron nodded. "You didn't need to tell me."

"Well I thought I should in case you thought it was a boyfriend or something…"

He had come out of his sombre mood. "You don't need to tell me if you have a boyfriend." He said politely.

She realised that she didn't. He was her former boss and she didn't have to tell him anything but she did as a courtesy. There was always a mutual understanding between the two, an unspoken bond; "You're here for me and I'm here for you, but we don't need to say it" – kind of thing. It went beyond the realms of co-workers, to an intimate level.

That night Emily questioned their relationship. She hated that word: relationship. She wasn't one to care for semantics but in this instance in bothered her. A relationship, she thought, implied something between romantic partners; a boyfriend-girlfriend, husband-wife relationship. But in reality it is simply a bond between to people. In a simple definition, she and Aaron Hotchner had an intimate relationship. But only one other person could understand what she meant, Spencer Reid.

She looked at the bedside clock, it was almost 2 am and defining their relationship still bothered her. She could profile everyone but herself. Why did it mean so much to her to define what their relationship was? Why did she care so much? Why did she need justification for any of it?

Then she realised.

**All reviews will be returned. ~ CP**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for all your feedback on chapter 1, if I haven't got back to you or returned the favour - message me to let me know. The rating has been upped for this chapter to be on the safe side due to adult themes and language. One review mentioned that they would like Aaron's POV and I'll try to incorporate that into future chapters. Thank you for all your suggestions and comments so far. ~ CP**

Green tea had become her new coffee. Having given up caffeine almost three years earlier, Emily was always looking for the next best thing to perk her up in the middle of the day. Today it was necessary. Her work load was almost non-existent; every file had been checked, every case reviewed and all that could be done, was done – for now. Lack of any work just led her mind back to the previous morning, the reason for her sleep deprivation.

While lying in bed Emily had come to the conclusion that she was in love. Perhaps infatuated was a better term. With her boss. Former boss. In the early hours of Sunday morning she had convinced herself that she was in love, then that she just had a crush on him, then that she just really admired him. Still, by noon on Monday she still had no idea how she felt. How was it that a simple, accidental video call had sent her out of her mind? She reached for her diary and flicked through the pages. That's it. Her period was due soon. A logical explanation: she was hormonal.

The week went by as normal, and she spent every free moment convincing herself that her hormones were making her neurotic. Of course she admired him, he was an excellent parent, had a great work ethic, was chivalrous, the list went on. Soon enough it was Saturday again, marking the one week anniversary of their accidental communication and she began wondering whether their conversation meant as much to him as it did her.

The computer played the familiar tone. "Hello?" she knew immediately who it was and didn't bother checking. Answering almost-instantaneously she briefly hesitated over whether or not she could pull of greeting with "hey sexy" but decided against it. After all, Beth could be there. But why would he call if she was there?

"Hello Emily" he smiled. Emily noticed that he wasn't as relaxed as when they had ended their conversation last week but he had obviously intentionally called her.

"Hey" she greeted him again.

"How has your week been?"

"Not bad, not a lot going on." The latter part of that sentence was a lie, but she could hardly confess she that she had spent the last six days obsessing over what he means to her.

"Complete opposite for me. We had a case in Milwaukee that had me out of the house until last night. It was a tough one but justice prevailed."

Emily acknowledged what he said but didn't want to linger on work. What she wanted to ask was why he was calling her. Why wasn't he calling his girlfriend? It wasn't an easy question to ask. "Busy Saturday?"

"We got back from soccer practice an hour ago and Jack is working on his left kick in the back yard. I'm taking it slow, I wanted to talk to you, so I'm glad you answered. I thought you might be too busy to pick up."

"You wanted to talk to me?"

"Not about anything in particular."

"Oh." Emily tried to not sound disappointed.

"It just that it's nice to have a friendly face to talk to once in a little while."

A friendly face? He was killing her. Where was the friendly face of his girlfriend? "I agree. It's good to hear an American accent if I'm being honest."

"You're getting a British accent." He teased.

"Am not!"

"Oh, I definitely think you are!"

"You're doing your tell!" she retaliated, laughing. "Stop teasing me."

"Stop teasing me." He repeated in a British accent. Emily had never seen him like this. She had seen him laugh before, of course, but never like this. She couldn't help but think he was flirting with her as he kept jibing at her.

Eventually they both stopped laughing and he sighed heavily. She had to ask, it was now or never. "Aaron, you are ok, aren't you?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" He was a little defensive.

"Oh no reason." She said light-heartedly. "I just wanted to check." She smiled and swallowed hard. "I was just wondering, why call me? Why not call Beth?" As soon as the words left her mouth she realised how stupid and self-centred she sounded. He probably had already called her, or was about to call her. Maybe she was busy. Maybe she was there, napping upstairs after a night of late night fucking and he was just calling her to pass the time before she woke up.

He hesitated. "I am going to call her. It's still a little early here, time difference, remember." Emily looked at her watch, it was nearing six-thirty, meaning it was way past one in the afternoon at home. He wasn't doing his tell but he was certainly lying. One p.m. had not been early since her freshmen year, who was he kidding, trying to say that 1.30pm was early for a thirty-or-forty-something year old?

"Of course." Emily nodded and tried to distract him from finding meaning in what she had just said. "Are we making our calls a weekly thing?"

"Maybe. If we have the time."

"I'd like it."

"Me too. I'd hate to ever lose contact with you." The word 'ever' stuck in her head.

"Likewise."

"No, really, Emily."

She furrowed her brow. "I feel the same."

"We have been through a lot together." He thought for a moment and carried on. "The team have been through a lot."

She didn't know how to respond. "Are the team ok?"

"Yes. I just mean that, you and I, we have similar experiences and I think it's good for us to be there for each other regardless of distance between us."

Emily didn't want to talk about Foyet or Doyle. "If you're ever having a bad day, you know where I am. And you have the number for my office. Call any time, I mean that."

"Thank you. My line is always available to you too."

"Thanks."

He looked down at his phone and grumbled. "Uh, great…"

"Is there a problem?"

"No. Yes. I mean no."

She raised an eyebrow. "Yes or no?"

"Alex Blake, she's leaving us."

"Oh no! Really?"

He threw his phone onto the couch in the background. "The section chief is quizzing me on why she's leaving."

"Why_ is_ she leaving?"

"Stress of the job."

Emily tilted her head from side to side. "Understandable."

He glared at the monitor. "I'm taking that as a no for you rejoining us then?" He said casually.

"What?" Emily took him seriously.

"Oh Emily, I was joking, sorry. We don't plan on filling her position."

"I'm happy where I am."

"You are?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You just seemed to take me seriously when I mentioned returning to us."

"Oh, no, I was just confused." She spluttered nervously.

He laughed. "Don't worry about it."

"I miss everyone, but the pay is better and it's nice to have a semi-normal schedule."

"You don't need to give justification to me."

"I, uh… Ok. I don't know why I'm mentioning pay or schedule…" she laughed and he seemed confused. "I mean, I'm a single mother-to-none, in my 40s, a crazy schedule isn't going to affect me that badly and I earn enough to support myself."

"Mother-to-none?" he questioned.

Emily chuckled to herself. "One of my single gal-pals started saying it, as a play on words, but now I've said it I realise I sound ridiculous."

He laughed when he realised the pun. "It's clever."

She shrugged. "I don't think I'll say it again…"

He was briefly distracted by Jack wandering through the sitting room but their conversation resumed. Just like the week previous, their conversation went on, this time into the early hours.

Emily yawned. "Sh-" he stopped himself from swearing. "I'm sorry for keeping you up so late Emily. Don't hang around because of me. I should have been conscious of the time."

She yawned again. "It's fine. I didn't realise the time either."

"Are you going to go to bed?"

The computer time read 1.04am, they had been speaking for over six and a half hours. "I think I better. You never know what the week will bring. Besides, I need my beauty sleep."

"You don't need beauty sleep."

"Thank you Aaron." She said half asleep.

He watched as she moved the plate and mug from besides the laptop and washed it up in the kitchen behind her. "Emily?" she didn't hear him as she made a second journey to tidy up where she had been sitting. "Emily?" he repeated.

"Yeah?"

"I need to be honest with you about something."

Immediately concerned she sat down. "What is it?"

He looked around. "…Yes Jack I'll be right there…" he yelled before looking back at his computer. "When you asked about me calling Beth. I obviously haven't called her."

Emily looked at the clock again as if to reconfirm how much time had passed. "I, uh-." Emily wanted to apologise for keeping him away from calling her but it didn't make sense. What did he have to say?

"I just said that, I didn't want to talk about it then, but, I was never going to call her."

Emily frowned and squinted her eyes at the video feed. "What? Why?"

"Emily, Beth and I have split up. We have decided to take some time apart, indefinitely."

"What?!" Emily spluttered. She was suddenly awake. Her reaction was out of character for her, as a former colleague, subordinate, having such a reaction was just odd.

He thought her reaction was to him lying. "Emily, I'm sorry for lying. I just wanted to talk."

"Oh! Oh!" She murmured. "It's ok. I'm sorry…" She wasn't sure what she was sorry for. She was bewildered and words seemed to flow out of her mouth by their own accord.

"Look, Emily…" He was distracted once more by his surroundings. "Sorry, I've got to go." The call ended.

**Thank you for reading. All reviews will be returned. ~ CP**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I am very sorry for the delayed update and how lame this chapter is. I've struggled to write from Aaron's perspective but I might try this angle again later on. This chapter serves as a little explanation of things that have happened and events that will happen in the future and be significant. I haven't got round to returning reviews and subscriptions from my last chapter as life is a little hectic at the moment.**

10pm on a Saturday and Jack was asleep, a successful evening in Aaron's book. Despite having to clean up Jack's attempt at making a chocolate milkshake, he was thankful that his son had interrupted the end of the video call so he did not have to deal with the repercussions of his lie. In bed he counted on his fingers, if it was ten where he was it must be three in the morning in London. Of course Emily would be asleep, he couldn't just call to apologise.

It was the Wednesday after the accidental call that Aaron received a message from Beth saying that they needed to talk. When he was eventually able to call back, what Beth had to say came as no surprise. He had tried to talk to her, he really had, but she was either busy, or tired, or not in the mood to talk. When Emily offered him her ear it was just what he needed, and even though they never discussed his problems, it was still friendly company. It wasn't that Emily Prentiss had driven a wedge between the already distant couple, it was that she made him realise what he was missing; a female companion. It was Monday morning on the jet when he began to realise this, and he realised that he didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt for accidentally calling Emily "sexy"; to tell the truth, she kind of was.

Three days after their second video call Aaron sat alone in his office. There was a knock and Rossi appeared holding his report on their latest case. "I thought I'd drop this by."

Aaron reached out his hand. "Thank you."

"I thought you would have gone home by now."

"Jessica has Jack for the night so I thought I would get some word done."

"I see you're having a wild night off." Aaron looked up and smiled. "Not calling Beth tonight?"

He immediately looked down and messed with the file in his hand. "Uh…"

"Ah." Rossi had it figured out. "I'm sorry about that."

He shrugged casually. "When do long distance relationships ever really work?"

"Well… I can't having this job has helped my relationships, weekly cases at the other side of the country, plus book tours probably contributed to the failure of my marriages."

Aaron put his hand out to urge him to sit down. "It's a sacrifice." He watched as his old friend, David Rossi, rub his greying goatee. It was only during his second stint at the BAU that Aaron had realised that profiling, for Dave, was more than a career, it was a fundamental part of his personality; he was always trying to figure somebody out, always a step ahead. Dave cracked a smile and grinned. Aaron mirrored him, "what?".

"So who is she?"

"I'm sorry?" Aaron frowned.

Dave looked around, checked that the office door was closed and that no one was walking around the bull-pen. "Aaron Hotchner does not give up on a relationship."

He frowned again and interrupted. "Dave." He said sternly.

"There must be some reason why you're not chasing after Beth." He rubbed his stubble.

Aaron shook his head. "There's no reason. I think your gin is calling you."

Before their conversation could go on any longer, JJ interrupted by knocking his office door causing the blinds to rattle against the glass. "Sir…"

"I better get going." Rossi walked out and shut the door behind himself.

"JJ, you should have gone home." He said, checking his watch.

"I needed to talk to you."

Hotch smiled but quickly frowned. "Is there a problem?"

"No" she spluttered, clutching a piece of paper in her hand.

"Is that for me?" He reached out for it. JJ hesitated, looked at the paper and passed it over. "It's a medical slip…" he said as his eyes skimmed the letter head and then looked to her.

"I'm pregnant."

He quickly stood up. "Congratulations."

JJ smiled. "Hotch."

"JJ?"

"I was wondering if I could alter my duties…"

He looked up from the slip of paper which he had been reading. "Of course."

"Would it be possible for me to take on roles from my old job as a media liaison? If I can't I understand, I just want to look after myself with this pregnancy."

"JJ, of course, anything."

"Thank you."

He smiled at the medical note in his hand. "Do you need this back?"

"I have the original."

He played with it in his hands. "Have you told Emily?"

JJ raised an eyebrow. He very rarely called her Prentiss but she thought it odd that Emily was one of the first people he thought of when she shared her news. "Uh…" She stepped closer to his desk. "Actually only you know, other than Will, my mom and my OB."

"People will catch on soon enough, I'm not having you in the field from now on." He said firmly.

"I think I can distract them quickly enough" she smiled.

"Just tell me the story we are going with…" he laughed.

"I'll let you know…" she began to walk out the door.

"JJ?


End file.
